Designers Explore an Entirely New Use for Shipping Containers in Seoul’s Design District

Written by Finn MacLeod

Fashion, design and architecture collide in Zaha Hadid's recently completed Dongdaemun Design Plaza, one South Korea's most popular tourist destinations. Commissioned by the Design Plaza's Supervisor of Public Space Young Joon Kim of yo2 Architects, the latest development for the plaza is a series of compact kiosks designed to activate the expansive public space surrounding the new building. One of ten teams invited to submit ideas for these new kiosks, Amsterdam-based NL Architects developed a series of impermanent but practical solutions for the plaza. Using new methods for reuse of standard shipping containers, the team proposed a host of kiosks, with two of their designs - an information booth and a miniature exhibition space - being accepted for construction.

See all of NL Architects' Zaha-inspired shipping container kiosks after the break

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"In the presence of Zaha all matter seems to become fluid...even the most rigid of forms turns malleable, pliable, soft," reads the project description. Inspired by Hadid's surrounding curvilinear structure, the team chose to challenge the standard rectilinear use of shipping containers, inventing a series of multi-functional kiosks that accommodate uses through gently curved, twisted, bent and inflated distortions to their rectangular structure.

The "family of booths" all utilize a flowing aesthetic echoing Hadid's centre, providing a sense of harmony in the public square. Each kiosk will serve a unique purpose intended to active the public space at Dongdaemun Plaza, and will provide much-needed space for local vendors and restaurants to operate. Interior spaces will be adaptable to a variety of specific uses, particularly in the exhibition kiosk which will feature eight ground-level doors that can be configured depending on spatial requirements. An exterior bench is carved into the roofline of the information kiosk, further activating the public square and serving as an example for design of the yet-unfinished kiosks.

Ultimately, the project aims to realize 30 kiosks across the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Young Joon Kim has invited 10 architecture firms to design 3 kiosks each within a specific program: commercial activities, exhibitions, exchange of information, surveillance, and interaction. Each kiosk will feature a transparent roof and multiple doors for optimal flexibility, along with exterior space for public interaction.